Hippophobia
by DinozzoFan
Summary: 21. Someone is hippophobic, they can barely breathe who will be there to help them through it. Emotion and physical connections for between two characters.


Just a funny one shot I thought of, with help from my Hippophobic friend Sharmster!! Don't know what Hippophobia is, read on.

Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS, obviously, if I did there would be a blond somewhere in the plot. Because blonds have more fun!!

This is for my NCIS readers who have been putting up with my Harry Potter stories for months without complaints. Here's a cute little fic with a bit of Tiva mixed in.

---

"How far do we have to drive Gibbs?" Tony whined, grabbing onto whatever he could as Gibbs wildly over took a sports car.

"Just be glad Ziva isn't driving," Gibbs smiled.

"Yeah, I am but how much further boss?"

"Tony, do I look like your mother?" Gibbs asked getting frustrated.

Tony hesitated in his answer and Gibbs whacked the back of his head, which caused him to swerve into the other lane. A car coming the other direction blew their horn loudly.

After a few minutes of silence, McGee asked, "this is a bit far boss, are you sure this is in our jurisdiction?"

"Well I'm sorry our Sailor didn't die closer to home, I'll tell the next one to get murdered on the lawn at NCIS. Would that make you happy, Probie?"

Ziva laughed and played with McGee's hair, "you could put that in your book time. At least it would be more realistic of me dreaming about being hot and sweating with Tony, our naked bodies pressed together as my character that's not be lets out an orgasmic scream." At the end of that sentence Ziva grabbed Tony's shoulder tightly and she knew it had the desired outcome. Ziva loved making fun of her teammates, especially Tony.

Gibbs turned of the rural highway, onto a dirt road and then onto a long gravel driveway. The driveway was about two miles long and at the end were three large buildings. There was a large double storey white homestead, warehouse and a medium sized American barn between them. The property seemed to be abandoned.

Gibbs pulled up the car, put it in part and placed the handbrake on. The four teammates climbed out of the car. The large warehouse had its large doors opened and was completely empty. Gibbs directed Tony and Ziva to check the barn while McGee and himself checked the homestead.

"I think I should check the homestead and McGee can go with Tony," Ziva suggested.

Tony lightly put his hand on her shoulder, "are you scared of what might happen if we're alone?"

Ziva grabbed his hand and twisted it so know she was facing his back and lifting it higher up his back in a rather painful self-defence technique.

"Okay, I'm sorry," Tony apologised, Tony wasn't really sorry, he was just sorry he got hurt.

"Ziva, you're staying with Tony. I think you two have a connection," Gibbs said as he signalled McGee to follow him to the house.

Tony headed towards the barn and Ziva walked a couple of feet behind him.

"You realise in some countries, women walk behind their men because they aren't as important," Tony said matter-of-factly.

Ziva stopped walking, "Tony what country do I come from?"

Tony suddenly realised his mistake, while trying to be clever he make himself look incredibly stupid. His clever fact was about her homeland so she obviously already knew it.

"Right."

Ziva, who didn't want Tony to get full of himself, walked ahead of him and entered the barn first. Ziva's heart was racing in her chest; she could fell the sweat coming out of the pores on her skin, she tried to calm herself. Of course it didn't work, she had tried everything, gone to ever clinic in the state. It was the last thing she wanted, Tony finding out about his stupid little phobia, she could imagine the jokes know, she'd have to kill him. What if McGee wrote a sequel to his book and included her embarrassing secret.

It was dark in the barn but with the open door half the barn was lit up. Tony shone his flashlight towards the ceiling there was definitely no lights in here. Ziva heard something on the dark side of the barn and swung around with her flash light, drawing her gun.

Ziva dropped her gun in fright of what was over the stall door, she could see it breathing and looking at her. Ziva started hyperventilating; she could fell her heartbeat jumping out of her chest. She stumbled as she walked backwards, she could her Tony, but it sounded like he was miles away. Ziva couldn't even understand what he was saying; she used her feet and arms to push her backwards across the floor. Ziva managed to make it to the other side of the aisle in the barn. She was now sitting against the front of an empty stall, feeling something solid helped a little, her breathing slowed down a little but her heart was still racing. Tony who was now sitting on her left, put his right arm around her talking soothingly, he placed her head on his chest.

Ziva could feel his slow calm heartbeat. Tony's warm breathe on the back of her neck made her feel safe, she felt his arms tighter and a few tears rested on his shirt. They had been sitting there for over eight minutes, but Ziva thought it had only been one. Tony didn't mind waiting with her, she obviously needed him right now and secretly he enjoyed being this close to her both physically and emotionally. His right arm, which was over her back, could tell that her heart rate, was a lot slower now but not back to normal rate.

Gibbs and McGee entered the barn and saw what was going on, Gibbs quickly understood that whatever Ziva was going through she wouldn't want a crowd. Gibbs told Tony without talking that he and McGee would be outside when they were ready.

Ziva didn't want to move, she knew she was safe with Tony but she knew she couldn't stay life this forever, but she would if she could. Ziva also didn't want to move for another reason, she knew Tony would want to talk about it, her phobia and Ziva still found it embarrassing. Tony was doing a good job of calming her, usual guys freak out when women cry, not that Ziva had had much experience in crying in public.

Tony felt Ziva move slightly, "are you okay?" Tony asked, genuinely concerned for her. The young but large black foal had his head over his stall door looking at the pair of them. Tony found it hard to comprehend being scared of such an innocent looking animal.

Ziva kept her head on Tony's chest when she replied, "nothing hurt but my pride."

"You don't need to be embarrassed," Tony told her honestly.

Ziva couldn't believe it, Tony was being understanding, nice even. "Tony, I have a phobia of horses, I'm hippophobic."

Tony gently laughed, "I kind of noticed, Ziva."

Ziva smiled he was so caring, it was unbelievable and he was joking and making her smile.

"My dad told me I was weak," Ziva told Tony finally sitting up a little and resting her head on his neck, Tony's arm still around her holding her close.

"Ziva you probably saw more in your teenage years, then the rest of our team combined has seen in our entire lives and Gibbs went to war," Tony smiled hoping to make her feel better, it was working.

"Not forgetting all the toilet drains Probie saw in High School," Tony joked. Ziva smiled again and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

Ziva looked up at the stall and saw the creature again, her breathing deepened and heart rate increased a little. Tony made an executive decision, "come on, we're going."

Tony helped Ziva up and put his arm back over her shoulders and walked towards the barn doors.

"You could have just told me Ziva," Tony said delicately.

Ziva was feeling like an idiot, she had assumed Tony would've acted like a jerk not a gentlemen, "I know that now."

"You thought I would tease you?" Tony inquired.

Ziva nodded as the stepped into daylight, she was composed now she was in the presence of her other team-mates. Tony took his arm off her shoulder; he was convinced she was going to be okay now.

Timothy knew something had happened in the barn, but couldn't figure out any scenarios. Neither Tony nor Ziva were pulling jokes at each other, something was up, Tim was sure of it. Tim was absolutely certain something wasn't right on the drive home. As for the case, it turned our a marine wasn't dead after all, the woman that called it in, her husband died at war over thirty years ago. McGee wound up in the front seat, Tony was the senior field officer and always had the front seat, always. Today though, it was different he sat in the back with Ziva. Even Gibbs was acting weird; he had turned up the radio and was listening to the top forty, which just wasn't his style.

Tony was thankful Gibbs understood and continued his whispered conversation with Ziva, "I wouldn't laugh about you being upset Ziva."

"Okay you've had your point, I feel like an idiot," Ziva sighed; it was awkward for her, being open about her emotions.

"You're not an idiot, you obviously just don't know we well enough. Do you want to have dinner tonight?" Tony asked, feeling very intimidated.

"Dinner as friends or dinner as a date?" Ziva asked, proud of the fact that Tony felt confident enough to talk to her like he would anyone else. Ziva had always felt that around Tony, he wasn't himself, that he was holding back a little.

"How about we start it as friends?" Tony asked.

"Sounds good to me," Ziva smiled, "where are we going?"

"I was going to cook, but I think I have a better idea," Tony smiled, a smile which made Ziva feel uncomfortable.

---

"Tony where are we going?" Ziva was starting to get concerned; Tony had picked her up twenty minutes ago. Though the pair still hadn't reached their destination and they were starting to leave suburbia.

"I promise you'll like it," Tony smiled as he pulled into a car park, just on the edge of town.

The grass was really green as the pair got out of Tony's black car; they walked to the front of the restaurant. Tony was being fairly romantic for a friendly dinner date, opening doors, bring flowers and entering with arms linked.

A tall waiter showed them their seats at the back of the restaurant next to the window and they each took a seat. Ziva held her breathe for a second when she looked out towards the setting sun and saw a dozen horses in the distance. For the first time in her life she was looking at the horses and her first thought wasn't fear but admiration of their beauty. She was of course still nervous; she could fell her legs and arms shaking. Tony placed both of his hands on hers and held them tightly. Like earlier that day once Tony started reassuring her and making her feel safe, the shaking stopped.

"Thanks Tony," Ziva smiled.

Tony returned the smile, he liked feeling useful and he could tell that Ziva was grateful. Ziva looked out the window at the horses again; they were half a mile away, which Ziva thought was a good distance.

"You know I don't mind them from a distance," Ziva said quietly.

"I know," Tony agreed. Even though it didn't really make sense, both understood what the other meant.

"When do you want to start riding lessons?" Tony asked as they walked out to the car after their meal. Ziva playfully punched him, but all the same she knew he was trying to help. For the first time ever she felt she might be able to over come her Hippophobia.

DiNozzoFan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A/N Wallah a NCIS one shot complete. Hope you enjoyed it enough to be kind and leave a review. TIVA. Hope you enjoyed your Hippophobia lesson, my friend Sharm and I should really keep working on her Hippophobia. From DF.


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